Photo: awkotacos on Reddit | Edited
Tesla made quite a few Model 3 owners happy after announcing its OEM solution for an automatically closing trunk. People have been buying aftermarket products. They didn't always look great. However, now that the "Powered Liftgate Retrofit" has been shipped and installed, customers must face a bleak reality – neither Tesla's solution looks any good.
The $800 product became popular very quickly. At the time of writing, the Model 3 "Powered Liftgate Retrofit" is sold out. It includes all the necessary components to make the trunk lid close by itself, so it is not that surprising.
The OEM-supplied solution was aimed at pre-2021 Model 3 owners. Considering it sold over 465,000 units of the funky sedan between 2018 and 2020, the rapid disappearance from the shop was to be expected. It is sold out at the time of writing.
The Model 3 used to have a starting cost of $35,000 in 2019 and $38,000 in 2020. In today's money, that's $42,000 and $45,100, respectively.
When writing, a non-Highland Model 3 RWD has a pre-tax price of $40,240. Thus, one could safely say that the EV maker's sedan didn't keep up with inflation, which, at least in theory, should make it cheaper than some years ago.
So, buying a useful option like the auto-closing liftgate directly from Tesla makes sense from both a practical and a financial point of view. Sadly, however, what was shown on the online shop did not match the real look of the product.
A 2020 Model 3 Long Range owner paid $880 (tax included) for the power trunk retrofit and had all the components installed at a Tesla Service Center in Southern California. They were pleased to see that the installation comprised two power struts, which should make this option more dependable in the long run.
The technicians also performed a firmware update, which was necessary to make the closing and opening possible through the EV's center screen and the app. The button is illuminated, so it's visible at night.
All in all, it took about eight hours to put everything together. The Tesla owner explained on Reddit that they are happy with how it turned out.
However, the button itself looks like a cheap aftermarket solution, not something offered by a premium manufacturer. It doesn't resemble the sleek integration shown on the automaker's website at all. Instead of a seamless addition, the boxy housing and the bump of the button itself don't blend well with the liftgate liner. It looks out of place.
Still, would that make buyers of this product regret spending their money on it? Probably not. This owner even confirmed that a powered liftgate was a "major quality of life improvement," and we suspect most customers will feel the same.
Nonetheless, it does look a bit wacky.
The OEM-supplied solution was aimed at pre-2021 Model 3 owners. Considering it sold over 465,000 units of the funky sedan between 2018 and 2020, the rapid disappearance from the shop was to be expected. It is sold out at the time of writing.
The Model 3 used to have a starting cost of $35,000 in 2019 and $38,000 in 2020. In today's money, that's $42,000 and $45,100, respectively.
When writing, a non-Highland Model 3 RWD has a pre-tax price of $40,240. Thus, one could safely say that the EV maker's sedan didn't keep up with inflation, which, at least in theory, should make it cheaper than some years ago.
So, buying a useful option like the auto-closing liftgate directly from Tesla makes sense from both a practical and a financial point of view. Sadly, however, what was shown on the online shop did not match the real look of the product.
A 2020 Model 3 Long Range owner paid $880 (tax included) for the power trunk retrofit and had all the components installed at a Tesla Service Center in Southern California. They were pleased to see that the installation comprised two power struts, which should make this option more dependable in the long run.
The technicians also performed a firmware update, which was necessary to make the closing and opening possible through the EV's center screen and the app. The button is illuminated, so it's visible at night.
All in all, it took about eight hours to put everything together. The Tesla owner explained on Reddit that they are happy with how it turned out.
However, the button itself looks like a cheap aftermarket solution, not something offered by a premium manufacturer. It doesn't resemble the sleek integration shown on the automaker's website at all. Instead of a seamless addition, the boxy housing and the bump of the button itself don't blend well with the liftgate liner. It looks out of place.
Still, would that make buyers of this product regret spending their money on it? Probably not. This owner even confirmed that a powered liftgate was a "major quality of life improvement," and we suspect most customers will feel the same.
Nonetheless, it does look a bit wacky.
Video of the struts operating: pic.twitter.com/hf6vpOG5Zg
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) September 22, 2023
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